Electrolytic apparatus.



' No. 813,844. PATENTED FEB. 27, 1906.

L. VAN SOOYOG. ELECTROLYTIC APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY15, 1905.

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LEROY VAN'SCOYOC, GILBERT STATION, IOWA.

ELECTROLYTIC APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent,

Patented Feb. 27. 1906.

Application filed May 15, 1905. r Serial No. 260,479.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEROY VAN SooYoc, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Gilbert Station, in the county of Story and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrolytic Apparatuses; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in electrolytic .apparatuses, and more particularly to such an apparatus which is specially designed for decomposing water to produce hydrogen and oxygen gases.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient apparatus of this character in which the operation will be rendered continuous by the use of automatic valves.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features-of construction, combination, and arran ement of parts, as will be more fully descri ed, and particularly pointed out in the appended clalms.

In the accompanying drawing I have shown a diagrammatic sectional view of an apparatus embodying my invention.

Referring to the drawing bynumerals, 1 denotes a receptacle or container, which may be of any suitable form and construction ada ted to contain the acidulated water or 0t er liquid which is to be decomposed by the aparatus. This liquid is fed to the container 1 i rom any suitable source of sup ly through liich has its lower open end 3 projecting below the normal level of the liquid in the containerfl. The level of this liquid in the container 1 is kept constant by means of a float-valve 4,10- cated in the feed or supply pipe. This valve 4, as shown, isof the ordinary cone type and is secured upon a vertically movable valvestem 5, carried by a float 6, disposed within the lower portion of the pipe 2. As the level of the liquid in the container 1 rises and falls the valve 4 will be moved by the float 6 into and out of a valve-opening 7, which is formed in a partition 8, located in the pi e 2. Suspended or otherwise mounted wit 'n the con-' tainer 1 are one or more gas-collectors 9, which, as shown, are in the forfn of cylindrical tubes or receptacles. These"? receptacles 9 have their lower open ends 10' submerged in the liquid in the container 1, and the positive and negative electrodes 12 and 13 are disposed in the lower portion of the receptacles and connected by wires'or conductors 14 to a dynamo or other electrical generator 15. Each ofthe receptacles 9 is divided into up per and lower compartments 16 17 by a partition 18, which has formed at its center a valve-opening l9. Coacting with the openin 19 is a valve 20, which is carried by a va ve-stem 21, secured upon a float 22, which is disposed in the lower portion 17 of the receptacle above its electrode. As the level of the water in the receptacles 9 varies the floats are raised and lowered, thereby opening and closing the valves 20, so that the gas generated and collected within the lower compartment 17 may pass into the compartment 16. Any suitable means may be provided for taking the gas from the-upper compartment 16. As shown, flexible gas-bags 23 are secured upon the upper open ends of the receptacles 9.

The operation of the apparatus will be readily understood from the fore oing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing. It will be seen that when the apparatus is used for the purpose of decomposing water acidulated water is placed in the container 1 and is kept at a constant level by means of the float-valve 4, which as the level of the water in the tank 1 lowers opens to admit pure water through the valveopening 7-, and as the level of the water in the container 1 rises the valve is again elevated to close said opening. The hydrogen and oxygen gases generated within the lower compartment 17 of the receptacles 9 pass into the upper compartments 16 and into the gasbags 23, when the pressure of gas within the compartments 17 ecomes great enough to lower the level of the water in said receptacles, and hence the floats 22, which carry the valves 20.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described'my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. A paratus for decomposing water by electro ysis, comprising a receiver, means includin a valve actuated by variations in the waterevel in the receiver, to supply water to the latter, a gas-collector, electrodes in the receiver in suitable relationshi to the gascollector and a valve actuated y variations in the water-level in the receiver, to control the discharge of gas to the collector.

2. An electrolytic apparatus corn rising a liquid-container, an automatic li ui -supply for maintaining the liquid in sai container at ,a constant level, gas-collectors having their 0 en lower ends (projecting below the level 0 the liquid in sai container, electrodes in'said collectors, partitions in said collectors having valve-openings therein,-and floatvalves in said collectors and coacting with said valve-openings, substantially as described.

3. An electrolytic apparatus comprising a liquid-container, a liquid-supply therefor, a

float-valve in said su ply for containing the liquid at a constant evel in said container, gas-collectin receptacles having their lower open ends suimerged in said container, electrodes in said receptacles, partitions in said receptacles having valve -0 enings therein, float-valves in said receptac es and coacting with said valve-openin s, and gas-bags at the up er open ends of sai receptacles, substantia y as described.

In testimony whereof'I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses;

c LEROY VAN SCOYOO. Witnesses:

En HoLMEs, HARLEY MANGER. 

